Vanguard
border |flag2 = Nukenobg2fl8.png border |flag2description = Vanguard War Flag |motto = A change is coming… |team = Orange |color1 = Orange |color2 = lemonchiffon |color3 = white |founder = Revanche and QuiteTheUserName |foundedon = July 11, 2007 |cabinet = The Sovereign * Rafael Nadal The Vizier *Thaliak The Consul * Stumpy Jung Il The Sword * Negev The Shield * Pocho The Hammer * QuiteTheUserName The Treasurer * Prometheus The Scholar * Faramir Kenobi |internationalrelations = |forumurl = http://hallofvanguard.com |joinurl = http://hallofvanguard.com |ircurl = irc://irc.coldfront.net/vanguard |ircchannel = #Vanguard |statsdate = February 1, 2010 |totalnations = 58 |activenations = 28 |percentactive = 48% |totalstrength = 2,736,914 |monthchange = |avgstrength = 47,188 |totalnukes = 833 |score = 9.8 }} Document of Vanguard The following is our charter, which represents Vanguard's values and functions. Preamble The Document of Vanguard serves as the incontrovertible and highest system of laws, which all members, including Architects, must abide by. The Document is to be interpreted and enforced by The Sovereign, and through it, The Sovereign and His or Her Architects ensure the safety, prosperity and success of each member of Vanguard. Vanguard is a bastion of freedom, honour and justice that endeavors to develop and vehemently defend its constituents, moulding each into the epitome of strength and efficiency. Membership, Admission and Expulsion Vanguard welcomes nations of all sizes, strengths and influence to apply to rally behind the Escutcheon of Vanguard. To come under the protection of Vanguard, an individual must visit the Hall of Vanguard and follow the application process detailed for new applicants. New applicants will primarily be recruited by The Hammer of Vanguard and appointed Recruiters; however, the Hall is open to those pilgrims who have found their way to Vanguard's home by their own initiative. Numerous factors are taken into consideration during the application process, and should an applicant be successful, they will be bestowed with the title of Novice of Vanguard. A Novice of Vanguard has limited access to the Hall. Should a Novice wish to proceed to full membership, a test can be undertaken to prove a Novice's worth. Membership tests are administered by The Scholar and the Department of Education, through the Vanguard University. Upon successful completion of the Membership Test, a Novice will be promoted to Member of Vanguard. A Member of Vanguard has full access to the Hall, as well as the ability to contribute to the alliance and be rewarded through internal programs. Success or failure in Membership Tests can be decided by The Scholar, Education officials, or Grand Architects. Constituents of Vanguard must swear allegiance only to Vanguard, and are forbidden to take part in any other alliance, organisation or group, or divulge any internal Vanguard information to those outside of the alliance. Further, members are expected to remain active, participate in internal programs, contribute to the success of the alliance, serve in the Vanguard Imperial Force and abide by the laws of The Document. Should any member fail to comply with The Document, any Architect can recommend to the Grand Architects that action be taken against that member. Punishment is decided by the Grand Architects; however, this duty can be passed to The Hammer, if necessary. Punishment for failing to abide by The Document can range from limits on the access to internal programs, demotion to Novice, or full expulsion from Vanguard. Government Grand Architects Grand Architects are the highest positions within Vanguard and are appointed rather than democratically elected. The members occupying these positions have the responsibility of ensuring the member nations of Vanguard enjoy safety, security and prosperity. The Grand Architects are empowered with unparalleled authority and jurisdiction to guarantee the efficiency of Vanguard. The Sovereign The supreme power within Vanguard. The Sovereign's word is law and is beyond contestation. As ruling monarch, The Sovereign is empowered with the authority to dictate, propose, introduce or guide policy in all departments, areas and interests of the alliance. The Sovereign, if he or she deems it within the best interests of Vanguard, can block any legislation or proposal within the alliance, using the authority handed down to them via The Document. The Sovereign's rule is indefinite and eternal, only ending if he or she chooses to pass the title to a fellow Grand Architect. The Sovereign is responsible for the success of all areas of Vanguard; however, he or she is required to oversee the democratic election of Architects on a bimonthly basis. The election process is to be carried out as described in The Document. The one exception to this process is if Vanguard is in a State of War with a foreign organization, where The Sovereign can delay democratic elections of Architects if not doing so would endanger security or efficiency. The Vizier Second only to The Sovereign, The Vizier has wide-reaching powers to assist in his or her responsibility of protecting the stability, safety and efficiency of Vanguard. The Vizier is appointed and dismissed by The Sovereign only, and serves Vanguard for as long as deemed necessary by The Sovereign. The Vizier, like The Sovereign, has the authority to dictate, propose, introduce or guide policy in all departments, areas and interests of the organization; however, The Sovereign can override and cancel any policy proposed or put into motion by The Vizier. Further, The Vizier must seek counsel with The Sovereign before putting into motion any decision that has potential to place the security of Vanguard at risk. In the absence of The Sovereign, The Vizier must consult with all Architects before proceeding with policy. The Vizier is directly responsible for overseeing the performance, activity and efficiency of The Architects. He or she must ensure each Architect is undertaking their duties and serving Vanguard to the best of their abilities. If The Vizier believes an Architect is not achieving satisfactory results, he or she can alert The Sovereign and suggest appropriate action be undertaken. Architects Architects consist of the second-tier of Vanguard government, with each Architect entrusted with wide-reaching powers in their specific area of jurisdiction. The Architects are democratically elected, with terms consisting of a two-month period. They answer to the Grand Architects, but maintain a high degree of independence. Architects are accountable for the success and efficacy of their departments. The Sword The General of the Vanguard Imperial Force (VIF), the military organization entrusted with defending the interests and safety of the member nations of Vanguard, through both defensive and assertive means. The Sword leads VIF in the name of The Sovereign and has the ability to implement policies, programs and measures to assure the military might of Vanguard is the epitome of efficacy and productivity. The Sword holds the power to appoint and direct Commanders, Officers and other military officials to assist in the efficient running of VIF. Further, The Sword is bestowed with the authority to appoint Intel Officers for the purpose of data collection and statistics compilation. The might of Vanguard's Imperial Force rests on the shoulders of The Sword, who only answers to The Sovereign and The Vizier regarding military matters. The Shield The Shield, as Head Diplomat of Vanguard, is responsible for all foreign affairs matters concerning Vanguard. It is The Shield's responsibility to work towards the guarantee of strong, peaceful relations with all foreign alliances, both through his or her own duties, as well as the productive coordination of Vanguard's Diplomatic Body (VDB). Answering only to the Grand Architects, The Shield is to organize the VDB through appointing and assigning capable Ambassadors to represent Vanguard policy and assist in bettering interalliance relations. The Shield has the crucial responsibility of being one of the predominant public representatives of Vanguard policy and must keep in regular contact with foreign alliances, whether through ambassadors, diplomatic statement releases or meetings with foreign affairs counterparts. Further, through consultation with the Grand Architects, The Shield has the authority to direct foreign policy and discuss, formulate and propose agreements to be signed by Vanguard and foreign alliances, with only The Sovereign able to override The Shield. The Treasurer The Treasurer deals with all financial matters of Vanguard and is accountable for ensuring all member nations grow efficiently and have access to programs, assistance and markets to increase their prosperity and capability to advance. The Treasurer is directly responsible for internal aid programs, growth assistance initiatives, technological trades and exchanges, novice grants, trading, banking and other miscellaneous fiscal concerns. To promote productivity, The Treasurer is entrusted with the authorisation to appoint and coordinate Directors for specific areas of Treasury jurisdiction, for example, a Director of Trade. The Scholar The Scholar is responsible for alliance-wide education. The Scholar is to compile and formulate in-depth informational resources for all Vanguard members to utilise towards the betterment of their growth, trading and military proficiency. The Scholar will be Chancellor of the Vanguard University and Novice indoctrination programs, which will assist in promoting an educated, productive membership, knowledgeable in the ways of growth, economics, warfare, foreign affairs and trade. The Scholar can, if he or she chooses, appoint Professors to assist in the running of education programs. Further, The Scholar controls the Nation Auditing Initiative (NAI), where The Scholar and his appointed staff are responsible for giving advice to any Vanguard member who wishes to increase their nation's productivity. The Hammer The Hammer is the builder of Vanguard. The Hammer will be responsible for bolstering the ranks of Vanguard through implementing and coordinating recruitment programs. The Hammer has the authority to decide the success or failure of new applicants, with the ability to bestow them with the honour of the Novice title. Further, The Hammer, in coordination with the Department of Education, is accountable for ensuring the members of Vanguard contain only the highest quality in the world of Cyber Nations, and must endeavour to deny the application of those who will not contribute to the alliance, or seek to harm it. Additionally, The Hammer will have immense responsibility in ensuring the efficiency of internal programs, in all areas, and endeavour to continually improve internal organisation. Due to this, The Hammer will be expected to work closely with all Architects, particularly The Scholar and The Treasurer. Elections Elections for The Architects take place bimonthly, therefore once elected, each Architect serves Vanguard through a two-month term. The election process, which begins three days before the end of each month, consists of three stages: Intent-To-Run The intent-to-run and campaign stage, which lasts for three days, is the beginning of the election process and commences three days prior to the end of each month. For example, the campaign period for the June Term would begin on May 29, allowing May 29, 30 and 31st as the campaigning period. To participate in the elections, each potential candidate must first place their name in the appropriate topics, showing their intent to run for specific positions. For a candidate to proceed into the Opening Round of voting, the candidate must have released a campaign via the appropriate venue, otherwise, they will become an invalid candidate. Opening Round The opening round of voting, which includes all candidates who successfully formulated a campaign, serves as a method of narrowing the candidates down to the select few most worthy. The opening round lasts for two days and all Vanguard members are encouraged to vote in each poll. To proceed to the final round, a candidate must obtain 20% or more of the total vote in their specific poll. If a candidate, who is running for two or more positions, is successful in obtaining 20% of the vote in an opening round for more than one position, he or she must choose only one position to run for in the final round. Final Round The final round of voting, lasting for a period of two days, will decide which candidates are elected as The Architects for the specific term. The candidate with the highest percentage of votes in each poll will be declared the successful Architect. If he or she deems it necessary, The Sovereign may choose to forego the Opening Round, either due to a small number of candidates in a specific election, candidates prematurely conceding, illegal actions by a candidate or candidates, or other miscellaneous reasons. No matter the occurrences during the election period, the newly elected Architects do not take power until the day after the final round has finished and the results have been announced. This will generally occur on the 5th day of each month; however, it is subject to change due to varying circumstances. Policy, Programs and Legislation Vanguard policy is dictated and directed by the Grand Architects. The Document establishes a degree of responsibility for each Architect, with Grand Architects possessing the authority to delegate varying levels of power for each Architect in their specific department. All Architects are invested with the ability to implement programs and direct policy within their department, yet must do so in consultation with the Grand Architects, and remain aware that The Sovereign possesses the incontestable power to veto or introduce legislation, policy, programs or laws to protect the interests of Vanguard. The Sovereign is the highest power in all aspects of Vanguard policy. No treaty, agreement or document involving Vanguard and a foreign power is deemed official until it is ratified by the signature of The Sovereign. Similarly, no deployment of the Vanguard Imperial Force may occur without a declaration by The Sovereign, unless previously stated otherwise by The Sovereign. Internal policy and programs may be conducted and implemented without a signature or declaration from The Sovereign; however, the relevant Architect must consult with a Grand Architect before undertaking such acts. Peace All Members of Vanguard, Architects and Grand Architects are expected to abide by The Document and act in a respectful, diplomatic manner towards all other organizations and their members. Vanguard is a beacon of peace, honour, truth and integrity, with each member exemplifying these qualities at all times. Vanguard constituents are obliged to follow the Five Principles of Peace: *Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. *Non-aggression, with exception towards a threat to Vanguard's security. *Non-interference with the internal affairs of foreign organizations. *Equality and mutual benefit. *Peaceful co-existence. Vanguard will employ a team of ambassadors, who are to represent Vanguard through foreign embassies and public venues, symbolizing Vanguard's goals for peace, prosperity and efficiency. Further, ambassadors are to inform foreign organizations of Vanguard policy. The ambassadors will form Vanguard's Diplomatic Body who, under the direction of The Shield, will ensure healthy relationships between Vanguard and foreign entities. An ambassador is expected to be the epitome of the peaceful laws expressed within The Document, and holds a highly-regarded position. War Vanguard is a peaceful organisation, dedicated to resolving issues with tact and diplomacy. However, should any entity pose a threat to the security of Vanguard, through outside aggression, infringement on sovereignty and territory, internal subversion, espionage, or assault on any protectorate or dominion, the Vanguard Imperial Force will respond in a manner deemed appropriate by The Sovereign and The Sword. The Sovereign is the sole official within Vanguard with authority to declare war on a foreign entity, or negotiate peace with any organisation. At which point, The Sword is bestowed with the power to deploy the VIF to serve Vanguard in protecting alliance interests and security. Members of Vanguard are strictly prohibited from engaging in any conflict with a nation that has sworn allegiance to a foreign alliance not in a state of war with Vanguard. Members who participate in such actions, without prior exemption given by an Architect, will be punished by The Sword, in consultation with The Hammer and Grand Architects. Should this joint consultation decide that a revocation of membership is necessary, The Sovereign will administer such a punishment. Conversely, members are permitted to engage in military training exercises against nations who are unaligned and have not sworn allegiance to any foreign organisation. However, to participate in training exercises, a member must receive clearance from a Grand Architect, The Sword, or a Defense Official, prior to declaring war on that nation, through the appropriate process. A member found in violation of this law will be subject to a reprimand administered by The Sword, in consultation with the Grand Architecture. In all conflicts, members are permitted to use all aspects of conventional warfare, including ground attacks, air raids, espionage, naval attacks, blockades, and cruise missiles. The use of nuclear weaponary is also permitted in all circumstances; however, a member must receive clearance from a Grand Architect or The Sword before launching. Failure to receive clearance results in the member being prohibited from firing any nuclear weapons. If a member ignores this prohibition, a severe penalty will be enforced by a Grand Architect. Amendments Amendments to The Document can be made at any time by The Sovereign. No other member of Vanguard is bestowed with this power; however, The Vizier, Architects, and Members of Vanguard may recommend or propose amendments to be considered by The Sovereign. All amendments to The Document must be announced to the Members of Vanguard immediately after the alteration is made. Treaties External links * Official Vanguard Forums